


Endurance

by the13thCaretaker



Category: Agent Carter (TV), Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Gen, Hospitalization, Hurt/Comfort, Jarvis whump oops, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-13
Updated: 2016-04-18
Packaged: 2018-06-02 02:55:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6547774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the13thCaretaker/pseuds/the13thCaretaker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Stark family and Jarvis are nearly killed, but the butler takes the brunt of it. Can he survive this or was this his last service to the Stark family?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Jarvis pried a giggling four-year old Tony Stark from his mother’s legs. Maria put a hand up to her forehead and rubbed it with a sigh as the butler carried her son.

“How much longer to the car, Mr. Jarvis?” she asked, “I’m in desperate need of refreshment.”

“So am I,” announced Howard, his words slurring together in a merry tone.

Personally, Jarvis highly doubted that, given all they had drank at the gala they were leaving. Normally he would have the car brought to the front by now, but he wasn’t going to leave young Anthony with two parents who weren’t in the least sober. The Stark boy was only there for press reasons but thank goodness they had an excuse to come, the parents needed to take the child home for bed. Of course that really was what Jarvis would do.

Suddenly the quiet of the parking lot was interrupted at the sound of a gun cocking behind them. All three of the adults turned around and came face to face with two gun men. Maria gasped and Howard snorted. Jarvis’ grip on Tony tightened protectively.

“Mr. Stark, you’ll be coming with us,” one of the men said.

“Why would I do that?” Howard challenged. Jarvis resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the obvious.

“Or the other three die. You wouldn’t want that would you? Your love of your life, the child who will carry on the Stark name, the loyal dog, imagine all of them dead right here with their brains splattered on the floor.”

Howard narrowed his eyes and stepped forward. “Don’t you touch them.”

“Howard,” gasped Maria.

Tony’s little fists tightened around Jarvis’ waistcoat and the butler tensed.

“Then come along, Mr. Stark,” the goon said. Howard nodded and stepped forward, but not without sharing a discreet glance with his butler. While Howard came forward and the men were distracted with him, Jarvis handed Tony to Maria. 

A crack sounded through the night air as Howard’s fist connected a goon’s jaw. Jarvis sprang into action next to his employer, yanking the second goon’s hand with the gun away from Maria and Tony’s direction. Next to him Howard was wrestling for the other man’s gun, keeping it trained away from his family as well. Jarvis flipped his adversary to the floor and kicked the weapon away from him. While the man was down, the butler swung his fists down on the first goon’s shoulder. The blow hadn’t been expected and the gun flew to the floor with a clatter.

Howard threw another punch into the goon’s face, but in returned was kicked in the abdomen. As Howard’s smaller form fell to the ground, the goon elbowed Jarvis in the nose and the butler stumbled back. He all but fell into the arms of the other goon who had gotten to his feet again. Tony cried out in mix of emotions as the beloved butler took a very hard blow to the face and then a kick to the chest. Breath knocked out of him, Jarvis went slack in the man’s arms as the first goon swung around to get Howard.

Maria screamed as he picked up a gun and fired. But he had missed her husband and in turn he grabbed the goon’s arm and brought it hard down to his rising knee. The goon cried out in pain and the gun dropped. Howard then scrambled for it, curling his fingers around the cold handle and raising it to the attacker’s head.

“Not another move,” he said through gritted teeth. Looking up towards his butler, he saw that Jarvis once again had the upper hand and was pinning the other attacker’s arm behind his back.

 

“I think this is all taken care of now,” the inventor said, “Maria go back in and call the police.”

His wife nodded, taking her son’s hand and pulling him along with. Tony kept looking over his shoulder at the scene, feeling an array of emotions. He was scared, but happy that his dad and Jarvis had stopped the bad guys. At least that’s what he thought. The little boy watched as the man Jarvis was holding twisted around out of his grasp. Tony screamed in fear as the metal glint of a large knife flashed in the dull street lamp. It went up into Jarvis’ side. Howard shouted and whacked the first goon across the head and the man crumpled to the ground as the inventor put a bullet into the other. Tony tried to yank free from his mother’s grasp but she picked him up and ran inside.

 

Jarvis’ breath caught in his throat as he sank to his knees, bringing his hands around the knife lodged under the side of his ribs. 

“Jarvis! Jarvis!” shouted Howard. He ran over, catching the butler under the shoulders before he fell forward. Carefully he laid Jarvis on the ground, worry and panic flooding through him like he never thought could. 

“Hey, J? Look at me okay?” he said, kneeling over Jarvis and gently pushing the man’s bloodied hands away from the knife.

“Very well sir,” he said weakly, his voice catching. His breathing was incredibly uneven and Howard pulled away his coat to look at the predicament they faced. 

Howard carefully put his hands around the handle of the knife—it actually was more like a dagger—and looked at Jarvis’ face. “This is going to hurt pal, but I need you to stay with me.”

He barely gave any recognition that Howard had said anything, but his employer and friend proceeded nonetheless. Howard felt his stomach churn at the sound of Jarvis’ cry of pain. He had heard cries of pain before and seen blood everywhere; it was nothing new, but this was Jarvis.

His butler’s breath was now coming in short gasps as he struggled to breathe. Howard let the knife clatter to the ground next to them. The crimson that glinted on the blade in the moonlight was now making a billowing pattern on Jarvis’ clothes. Howard unbuttoned the waistcoat and pushed it out of the way. He took of his jacket, not caring it was one of his nicest, and pressed it to the wound to stop the bleeding. Jarvis wheezed lightly in pain and more worry shot through Howard’s heart as he looked at his butler’s pained expression. Apart from that, he looked even worse with the ugly dark purple bruise forming around his eye and blood leaking out of his nose.

“Hang in there J, hang on,” he told him.

Thankfully he heard the sound of sirens in the distance and he looked to Jarvis again, speaking with what he hoped was a reassuring tone.

“Ambulance is coming, we’re almost done here. J? Jarvis?” Jarvis’ eyes were distant and his breathing was suddenly very slow and shallow. Howard felt panic rise up again as the sirens grew louder. He kept one hand pressing on the wound, even though he could feel the warm, liquid seeping through the jacket, and with his other hand he gripped one of Jarvis’. It was slack in his fingers.

“You stay with me man, that’s an order,” Howard shakily commanded the butler. He got a choked noise in reply just as the ambulance pulled up next to them. Paramedics pulled him away from Jarvis’ limp form and he could hardly process what they were asking him as he watch them load his friend onto a stretcher. Howard felt a pounding headache forming in his skull, but at the same time felt lightheaded as he threatened to slip into shock.

After what seemed like ages, they were finally on the way to the hospital after Jarvis. Maria and Tony were taken home and he stayed at the hospital to wait for Jarvis. Howard paced in hall outside the surgery room as time ticked by. 

“Mr. Stark?” a heavily Hungarian accented voice asked. He whirled around to see Ana Jarvis timidly walking to him.

“Ana,” he said. 

Those were the only words able to be spoken and Howard quickly wrapped his arms around her. She hugged him back, stifling a worried sob. Howard remembered when he had once before held her as she cried, when they received the news Jarvis would be hung for treason.

The three of them had come such a long way since then. Howard remembered when he first met Jarvis. Had the circumstances been different he would have laughed at the thought of awkward Private Edwin Jarvis. The two had hit it off with a type of bantering friendship where they had both acted (badly) that they had disliked each other. When Howard had heard the news Jarvis had actually done something as drastic as forging the General’s signature for his girl, he jumped to get him out of trouble. 

Jarvis had been there for Howard ever since then, something he probably took from the butler for granted.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is shown slightly through both Tony and Howard's perspectives and how they feel through everything.

Tony ran out to Ana as she exited the mansion to go back to her husband. 

“Ana?” he said timidly, catching the hem of her dress in his hand. 

She stopped and looked down at him, bending down closer to his level. “Yes Master Tony?”

“Are you going back to the hospi’al?” he asked, looking up at her. 

“I am,” she nodded. “Would you like to come with me?”

Tony nodded his head and took her hand when she offered it. 

When they arrived, Tony stayed close to Ana and held tightly to her hand as they walked through people and halls to Jarvis’ room. They entered and Tony hesitated in the doorway while put all her bag down on a small table. The little boy looked at the long form of Jarvis lying on the bed. His eyes were closed and had it not been for the steady rise and fall of his chest, Tony would have thought Jarvis was dead. He still had a black eye, but it was better than Tony would have expected.

Ana pulled a chair to the side of the bed and sat in it, slipping her hand into her husband’s and whispered. “Edwin darling, I’m back.” 

Jarvis took a deep breath and his eyes opened slowly. “Hello Ana,” he said. Tony wrinkled his nose up as Ana bent to kiss him on the lips.

“You have another visitor today,” she said softly and scooted the chair back slightly so that Stark boy was in better view. She gestured with her hand for him to come closer and away from the door and he timidly went over, crawling up into Ana’s lap.

The corners of Jarvis’ mouth crooked upwards in a smile as he watched. “Hello Master Anthony,” he said.

“Hi Jarvis,” Tony responded quietly. He felt nervous, but he wasn’t sure why. This was Jarvis. He did know he did NOT like the state the man was in.

“How is your rocket ship turning out?” Jarvis asked.

Tony’s face furrowed into a thoughtful frown at the question. “It’s not perfect yet.”  
“No? Why not?” Jarvis asked him with great curiosity. 

Ana chuckled and stood up and set Tony in the seat. “While you too discuss rockets I am going to go get some waters,” she said, leaving them to it.

Tony grew more comfortable as he explained everything to Jarvis and the butler listened carefully. He didn’t ask as many questions as usual and Tony hoped that maybe he was actually understanding it this time. Or maybe he was still really tired. He kept talking though because Jarvis was still nodding and making some comments here and there.

After a few moments Tony noticed Jarvis wasn’t speaking at all anymore. Sniffing his nose, Tony twisted in the chair to look out the window of the hospital room, wondering what Ana was taking so long for. He saw her speaking to a nurse outside. Okay, so she was close by.

Tony whipped his head back around to look at Jarvis as he started to cough. 

“Jarvis?” he asked carefully, leaning forward. Jarvis didn’t answer and his coughing turned into strained wheezes. Tony noticed that blood was now flecked on his lower lip and chin.

“Jarvis?!” Tony cried out. Fear pierced through his little heart and he flew out of the chair, knocking it over as he ran to the door for help, screaming for Ana. 

Doctors and nurses rushed in within seconds all surrounding Jarvis’ bed. Ana started to follow in the whirlwind of action and Tony tried to stay close to her, but the two of them were guided out by extra nurses. The small woman’s hand went to her mouth as she repressed a sob. Tony swallowed the lump in his throat and looked up at her. He hoped that the doctors would be able to fix Jarvis, because Ana need him, probably more than Tony the little boy thought.

0 – 0 – 0 

“Ana go home with Tony, you’ve had a rough enough day,” Howard said gently.  
“Mr. Stark, my husband needs me,” Ana said firmly, but he noticed the weariness in her tone.

“He’d want you to rest,” Howard pointed out. “I’ll stay with him.”

After some more encouragement Ana finally gave in let someone take her home. Tony followed after her and Howard watched them go. He took a deep breath and stepped inside Jarvis’ hospital room. There’s a radio that he had let Ana bring and Benny Goodman is drifting out of the speaker. The Jarvises’ favorite, he remembered with a wry smile as he thought of the couple times he actually heard the music playing from their apartments in the mansion. 

The inventor dragged the chair over to Jarvis’ bedside and sat down heavily in it. The butler looks even worse now, thinner and the shiner around his eye contrasts darkly with his pale skin. So far he hadn’t woken up from the morning’s developments. Jarvis had gotten blood in his lung, a blood clot specifically-- pulmonary embolism they called it, or something like that. Howard had barely payed attention to the explanation, and it wasn’t because he was distracted by the attractive nurse, he was too worried about Jarvis to even acknowledge that. All he knew was that they had to perform surgery to get it out and the butler had survived. 

Leaning his head on his hand, Howard looked at his ashen face and suddenly wanted a drink of something strong. Unfortunately the hospital didn’t allow that.

“Damn it Jarvis. You got to stop scaring me like this,” he said to the unresponsive man. “Is this how you feel when I do something stupid?”

Howard sat in silence for a minute took observation of a small crack in the wall across the room. He almost thought he was hearing things when he heard the delayed remark after his question.

“Indefinitely, sir.” 

It’s bleak, strained, and weary, but it was Jarvis’ voice. Howard raised his head from its resting place on his hand. For a second Howard thought he had imagined it again because the butler’s eyes are still closed. Then they open half way and Howard leaned forward.

“Sorry about that then. How are you feeling pal?” Howard asked in a quiet tone.

It takes a couple of moments for him to answer but when Jarvis does there’s the smallest trace of his usual flat way of answering. “Absolutely wonderful,” he said. He poked his tongue out slightly and ran it over his dry lips.

Howard gave him a half smile and grabbed a cup of water of the desk next to the bed. He poked a straw into it and held it close to Jarvis.

“Water. Drink it, it’ll help you with the sandpaper feeling,” Howard said. Jarvis takes a small sip of the water with the straw and help from his employer. It helped the feeling of his mouth and nodded (a barely visible nod) at Howard.

“Thank you, sir,” he said as his eyelids slid shut again. He took a deep breath and the slighted pained expression didn’t escaped Howard’s notice. But Jarvis slipped once more into slumber and Howard looked at him sadly.

“It’s my pleasure J.” He breathed a sigh and stood up; he needed to get some air.

As he turned to the door he saw none other than Peggy Carter standing just outside the cracked open door. Howard suddenly felt a kind of relief at the sight of her.

“Peggy?” he asked.

“Hello Howard, Ana told me what happened,” she said. She hesitated before she asked her next question. “How is he?”  
Howard sighed and cast a glance at Jarvis’ hospital bed. “He’s been better. “

“And how are you?” Peggy asked and met his eyes when he looked back around.

“I’ve been better too,” Howard admitted as he ran a hand through his thick black hair.

“Howard, I think you and I both know Mr. Jarvis will pull through with this,” she said.

“I hope you’re right Peg,” Howard said quietly.


	3. Chapter 3

When Jarvis wakes up again the first thing he noticed was the burst of pain in the left of his chest and in the side of his abdomen. He couldn’t help the pained moan that emitted from his dry mouth. He didn’t move in hope that the pain would just go away. Then he realized he hadn’t been moving to begin with.

He heard the rustled of fabric as someone aroused and stepped in his direction. 

“Ana?” he asked. His throat hurt when he spoke and swallowed and his voice sounded rough and scratchy. 

“She’s coming, Mr. Jarvis,” came the answer. The voice was familiar and he realized it was Ms. Carter’s. “Can I get you anything?” 

Jarvis opened his eyes and thankfully the light was off, the room lit by the lights outside his room that shone through the window. Ms. Carter stood over him with an almost impassive expression, but even through that and the dark Jarvis can tell there’s a trace of friendliness and concern.

He swallowed before answering. “Water?”

“Of course,” she said, quickly retrieving it and guided the straw to his lips. He sipped it gratefully as the cool liquid ran over his dry mouth and down his throat. 

“Anything else?” asked Peggy.

“No thank you,” he answered.

Jarvis coughed and gasped at the new pain erupting in his chest. He tried to stop the coughing, but it kept coming and the pain seared through him. He felt a hand slid behind his back as Peggy carefully raised him up, almost in a sitting position. She was tense as he coughed, worried about having a repeat of what she had heard happened earlier. 

The coughing fit ended soon however, but Jarvis felt as if someone had taken his lungs through a shredder. 

“How do you feel?” Peggy asked him, rubbing circles on his back.

“Ow,” he answered, pressing a hand to his chest. He could feel the bandage wrapped around him under his shirt.

“I’ll get a doctor for some pain medicine, alright? Ana should be here soon,” Peggy said.

She put a few pillows behind him and made sure he was comfortable before she left to retrieve a doctor. When they returned, he took the medicine and soon enough he felt more comforted as his wife came in. Peggy left them in privacy and Ana sat down in the chair next to his bed. She wrapped her fingers around his longer ones and they curled around hers.

“Hello darling,” she said softly, “How do you feel?”

Jarvis closed his eyes as she planted a kiss on the side of his forehead. “Better now you’re here,” he answered truthfully.

She smiled at him and cupped her hand around his face. “You’d better.” 

She rose from the chair and sat down next to him on the bed. Jarvis smiled and rested his head on her shoulder, taking a breath ( that was very painful ) and took in her scent. 

“I love you Ana,” he said, closing his eyes.

“And I love you Edwin,” Ana answered, gently running a hand through his unusually untidy hair.

0 – 0 – 0 

When Ana returned home the next afternoon, she was surprised to see a tiny form curled up on the couch of their rooms. Setting down her purse on the table she walked over and smiled at the sight of little Tony sleeping soundly. He had the smallest trace of drool running down his cheek, his soft, black curls were mussed from sleep and he was wrapped- or rather tangled- up in what was unmistakably Jarvis’ light turquoise apron. 

Ana bent down and gently straightened out what wasn’t in his iron grasp over Tony and planted a kiss on the top of his head. He stirred and rubbed his eyes with his fists.

“Ana?” he said, looking up at her.

She smiled down at him and nodded. “Hello little one. Sleeping well?”  
“I miss Jarvis,” he replied in a small voice. 

Ana looked at him sadly and sat down next to him, pulling him up into her lap where he curled into her side. “Would you like to accompany me to the hospital again tomorrow?” she asked.

She felt Tony slowly shake his head no against her and heard a sniffle come from him. Frowning softly Ana tilted her head to look down at him. 

“Why not?” she asked.

“’B-because… Jarvis got hurt trying to help dad an’ me, an’ then he started coughing bad when I was there an’-“ 

Ana hushed Tony and cut him off. “Master Tony, none of this is your fault, do you understand? In fact if you hadn’t been there and run to warn the doctors when Jarvis needed help he could be dead right now. You,” she said, emphasizing the word and prodding his chest gently, “You saved his life the other day, and I thank you very much.”

Tony sniffled and wiped a tear out of the corner of his eye. “R-really?”

“Yes,” nodded Ana. She wrapped her arms around his little frame. “You’re my superhero, Tony.”

That earned her a toothy smile from Tony and a hug back. “I want to go with you,” he stated. Ana of course consented, telling him they could go back after she changed and grabbed a few things. Tony ran to his room to grab some stuff too and about ten minutes later he met Ana at the car with his toy Captain America shield poking through his open back pack.

0 – 0 – 0 

Tony holds Ana’s hand as they go into Jarvis’ room again and this time the little boy has a boost of confidence in his step and he’s no longer nervous feeling. He was going to make sure that the Jarvises were completely safe.

“Hi Jarvis,” he whispered, standing on his toes at the side of the hospital bed to make himself taller. He wondered if he’d ever be as tall as Jarvis.

“Hello Master Tony,” Jarvis answered, voice sounding weak and slightly strained. Tony could tell he was still really hurt and didn’t feel good but the twinkle in the butler’s eyes surged his heart with the feeling that he’d be okay when this was all over.

“Ana said that I was her superhero- so I brought my shield,” Tony said. He reached his arm back, fumbling around to grab the shield and pull it over his head, just like his dad had shown him Captain America had done… before his dad started to smell like the stuff he was always drinking.

Jarvis’ eyebrows rose. “Did she? I think she’s quite right,” he said as Tony struggled to pull the shield from his pack. He grinned brightly as it finally came loose and held it in front of him, striking a pose. 

“Definitely. Mrs. Jarvis, I daresay he’s the best superhero,” Jarvis said, turning his head to look at his wife who nodded enthusiastically from her seat in the chair.

“Absolutely!” she exclaimed with a smile. 

Tony grinned before turning serious as he leaned in close to Jarvis and whispering. “Mrs. Jarvis thinks you’re the best superhero though, I can tell.”

“Do you think so, Master Tony?” Jarvis asked hopefully with the faintest trace of a smile.

Tony nodded seriously. “And I think you’re the bestest too.”  
“You flatter me, Master Tony. I’m not nearly as good as you, I’m just a butler,” Jarvis replied.

“Then you’re the bestest butler ever with the bestest cookies and buttons and bestest butlering powers ever!” announced Tony, looking at him.

The statement was followed by a chuckle from Jarvis until it turned into a cough and Tony frowned anxiously. But it was only for a little bit and Jarvis was soon smiling at him again.

“Thank you very much Master Tony,” he said and the little boy grinned at him. 

The happy mood was brutally interrupted and brought down in seconds as the room door was forced down and two gunmen barged in. Ana gasped and jumped up from her seat and Tony whipped around, bringing the shield up. The two men laughed at the sight and Tony felt a growing sense of indignation, anger and fear as he recognized one of them from the other night after the party.

“We’ll get what we want this time, Jimmy,” the new one said.

The other goon- Jimmy- barked a humorless laugh before looking directly at Tony with his shield and the injured Jarvis on the bed.

“Damn right we will,” he said. “Frank get Stark on the line, he’ll be willing to hear us out this time.”

The other man laughed and stepped out of the room. Tony’s heart skipped, or rather leapt, in fear as the sound of gunshots firing in the hall and people screaming rang out.

“Please, there is no need for this,” Ana started desperately as she stepped in front of Tony and her husband.

“You wish little lady,” Jimmy responded gruffly. He stepped forward and using his free hand that didn’t hold a gun shoved her harshly out of the way, sending her to hit the wall.

“Ana-! N-no-“ Jarvis wheezed. The brute had the nerve to smirk at the butler’s fear. 

Tony growled and ran forward, slamming the toy shield into Jimmy’s legs. “Leave Ana ALONE!!” he shouted angrily.

His courageous act was broken as the man reached down and grabbed a fistful of Tony’s hair. The boy cried out in pain and felt tears beginning to sting his eyes.

“Hear that Stark? I’d suggest giving us what we want before something bad happens,” said Frank, standing in the doorway with the phone, as far as the cord would allow. “That element thing you’re working on. You’ve got a half hour to give us a complete formula. You know where to find us.”

Frank stepped away to hang up the phone and Jimmy twisted Tony’s hair in his thick, meaty hands making the little boy cry out even more. This time the tears did come and a horrified gasp from Ana. The woman dashed forward and she slammed the chair into the goon’s back. He let go of Tony and the child fell to the ground. 

Jimmy turned to Ana with an angry expression. “That wasn’t very nice.”

“And neither is what you are doing!” she shouted.

“Alright! Enough!” Frank said, coming back in and pointing his gun at Ana.

While everyone was distracted, Jarvis struggled to sit up and push himself up out of the bed. Pain tore through his only partially healed body and it was all he could do to keep from crying out in pain. The room spun around him, but the butler pressed on. No one threatened his loved ones and got away with it.   
Jarvis grabbed the one called Jimmy’s shoulder and when the man turned around he sent a fist into his face. 

It took the goon by surprise and he stumbled back a few paces. It wasn’t enough to do any serious damage for Jarvis, in his state, was still very weak. Frank pulled a gun out, pointed it at Ana and held onto Tony by the wrist as Jimmy advanced towards Jarvis. 

“You know you’ve got guts, despite they were almost cut out,” Jimmy spat. Jarvis swallowed and raised his fists, but it was just about pointless. The thug pushed him and the butler fell back like a rag doll. Using the bed for support Jarvis was pushing himself back up when Jimmy pushed him into it. He moved his hand slowly down to where the stab wound was, increasing the pressure he was applying.

“Leave him be!” Ana cried out, instinctively stepped towards her husband.

“Ah- uh- uh little lady,” Frank said, waving the gun and put it against Tony’s temple. The boy, who had been struggling futilely in the man’s grip, now froze in fear.

“This hurt yet bud?” Jimmy asked and pushed on Jarvis’ stab wound. The butler cried out in pain and struggled to push the bigger man away. He was far too weak yet though and black spots danced in his vision. 

“Leave… Ana and Tony… be,” Jarvis managed to say in between gasps of pain.

The two thugs exchanged a glance and snorted. Frank looked to the clock and shook his head. 

“I’m afraid all three of you are going to be dead if Stark doesn’t show up in the next three minutes,” he said. The sound of a gun cocking made all their blood run cold and Tony felt weak in the knees.

“I’m happy to say that won’t,” said a new voice, ringing clearly through the room.  
“Aunt Peggy!” cried Tony happily.

Frank snorted as Peggy Carter stepped in, her heels clicking on the tiled floor. She raised an eyebrow pointedly at Frank and placed her hands on her hips. 

“I don’t think you’ll be able to kick either of our asses, doll, so why don’t you run along,” he said.

“Oh I quite think I will if you don’t let go of the boy or Jarvis this instant,” Peggy said.

“You want to bet?” Jimmy snarled and threw a fist into Jarvis’ abdomen. Even though her blood chilled at the sound of her friend’s wheezing cry of pain and Ana’s shouting, Peggy took the distraction to wrench Frank’s gun from his hand and away from Tony’s head. An angry knuckle sandwich met his face with a crack and he fell hard to the ground.

Now for the other one. Peggy looked to Jimmy who was holding a sagging Jarvis in his arms. The agent and the thug’s eyes met, one steely gaze to another. But that didn’t stop Jimmy from raising his fist, ready to pound the man in his arms another blow. Peggy started forward but there was no way she’d get there in time. 

It turned out she didn’t have to. As soon as Jimmy raised his fist, Tony gripped the toy shield and ran forward. When the meaty hand came down, the small boy had slid between the two men and it met with the shield and sent it and it’s wielder to the ground. But Tony was satisfied that Jarvis hadn’t been touched, well except when Tony fell he brushed the butler’s arm- but that didn’t count.

Now Peggy had closed in and kicked the thug in face, the heel of her shoe breaking into the man’s face. He yelled out in anger and dropped Jarvis, who crumpled to the floor next to Tony. The little boy scrambled in front of him, keeping the shield up as Peggy and Jimmy fought. The goon pulled a gun and suddenly pointed it towards Ana. 

“Aunt Peggy throw it!” shouted Tony, suddenly pushing the toy into her hands. Peggy wasted no time and flung the shield towards Jimmy as his finger started to pull back the trigger. The plastic toy shield had just enough momentum to whack his hand out of the way. The BANG of the gunshot sounded and the bullet was lodged into the wall a safe distance from Ana’s head. 

“Yes!” shouted Tony, jumping up with his fists in the air. Suddenly Tony felt long arms wrap around him and he was pulled down as another crack of a pistol sounded. He found himself in Jarvis’ arms and the butler curled around him protectively. Looking between Jarvis’ arm and side he could see why. Frank had recovered and retrieved his gun. Tony gripped onto Jarvis’ shirt tightly and buried his face in his chest.

Meanwhile, Peggy continued bringing the hurt. She threw a chair into Frank and shot Jimmy in the knee. Tony felt Jarvis’ hands press gently over his ears to block out of the blood-curdling scream and vulgar terms that followed. Stealing a glance around the butler he saw broken splinters of the chair strewn across the floor and blood splattered across the wall. Jimmy was still caterwauling and writhing in pain while gripping his knee. Geez his hands were covered with the sticky red liquid. 

Tony didn’t like the sight, but couldn’t take his eyes off it. When Jarvis gently moved his head so they were face to face, the boy didn’t try to stop him and he focused on him instead. He had the kindest face, even with a black eye and pale expression, Tony decided. Jarvis looked at him and mouthed reassuring words to him. Tony wondered if he realized he still had his hands over his ears. Suddenly the little boy frowned as he felt something warm and wet spread through his shirt. He looked down and saw red again, but it was coming from Jarvis. 

“Jarvis you need a band aid,” Tony whispered, pulling the man’s hands down. Jarvis smiled at him and nodded slightly.

“A big one most likely,” he said.

A shadow settled over them and there was a click of a gun cocking. Tony’s wide, fear-filled eyes locked with Jarvis’. They were calm and reassuring as the butler folded around the little boy again.

“It’ll be okay Tony, just listen to my voice, okay? Nothing else,” Tony heard Jarvis say as he gripped onto him. He heard Frank angrily deny that it would be okay, and felt more of the warm, sticky blood from Jarvis’ side leak onto his shirt, but he ignored all of it like the butler had said and focused on his voice.  
“When we get home I will bake you the best chocolate chip cookies ever,” Jarvis was saying. He already did, Tony wasn’t sure cookies could get any better. 

Suddenly all thoughts of cookies disappeared as a final gunshot rang out.


	4. Chapter 4

Tony flinched in Jarvis’ arms, pressing himself closer as they stayed securely wrapped around him. He was terrified his arms would fall away and never be able to hold or hug him again and tears filled Tony’s eyes. 

Instead of falling away, Jarvis held onto Tony tighter and there was a thump behind them as Frank fell to the ground. Tony suddenly knew they were safe as a quiet lulled over the room and he heard only the sound of Aunt Peggy and Ana speaking and the sound of Jarvis’ breathing. Jarvis was still breathing. The little boy wrapped his arms around the man tightly back, burying his face in Jarvis’ shirt again.

Peggy had felt her heart clench when she turned to see Frank pointing the gun at Mr. Jarvis and Tony. She had pulled out her own gun but a shot rang out before hers, and to her surprise the goon had fallen down beside the other two. Ana had taken the shot and she stood with gun still pointed, breathing heavily with a look of terror in her eyes.

“Ana, set the gun down,” Peggy told her gently and the smaller woman shakily set it on the night stand. 

Then the two of them both ran to Tony and Jarvis, Peggy dragged Frank’s body away from them, and they knelt down.

“Edwin?” Ana asked, her voice quivering as she put a hand on her husband’s shoulder. 

Jarvis unlocked from his protective cocoon position around Tony, though the boy didn’t let go, and looked up at the two women. “Quite alright darling,” he breathed, “Just a little tired, I’m afraid.” He sighed and rested his head on the cool, tiled floor. 

Suddenly Tony’s head shot up and he looked at Ana and Peggy. “J needs a band-aid! A big one!” He pushed himself out of the way slightly, still clenching Jarvis’ sleeve and pointed at his side.

“Oh dear, I’ll get a doctor,” Peggy said, getting up and quickly going of the room. 

0 – 0 – 0 – 0

A few short hours later Jarvis’ stitches were replaced and he was moved to a different room while the police came and took away the two goons. Ana and Tony never left the butler’s side. 

Howard had come, looking sorely disheveled and Peggy could tell he was very guilty feeling. Tony was surprised when he received a tight hug from his father and he could have sworn he saw tears in his eyes. He must have been seeing things, because Stark men don’t cry, but it looked and sounded as if he was really trying hard not to as he apologized to Jarvis over and over.

Eventually, Peggy drove Howard home, promising to come back soon and Tony crawled up onto Jarvis’ hospital bed with Ana sitting next to them. The little boy settled into the crook of the butler’s elbow and absently played with a stray string in the fabric. Ana and Jarvis were holding onto each other’s hand, her thumb rubbing gently over her husband’s. None of them spoke, and it was silent save for the sound of Jarvis’ rattled breathing. But it wasn’t a bad silence, it was a calm, relaxing almost kind of silence and the tired trio felt no need to break it.

Soon Peggy came back and Tony sat up when she walked in, carrying his Captain America shield.

“You were quite the super hero today, Tony,” Peggy said and he smiled slightly.

He looked to Ana and she nodded at him with a smile. “He was very heroic. Again I do not think Edwin would be here without him,” she remarked.

“I suppose this will call for cookies. Maybe in super hero shapes?” Jarvis spoke up and Tony giggled, taking the shield as Peggy handed it to him.

“We have to give some to Aunt Peggy too,” said Tony decidedly, settling back down next to the butler. “Did you see when she threw it and knocked the guy’s hand away!? That was so cool! She was just like Captain America.”

Peggy smiled and exchanged a glance with her friend who smiled a wry, but friendly understanding smile back her. “I have to say Tony,” she said, “It was your idea to do it.”

“Yeah… I’m pretty cool too,” he said with a little shrug of the shoulders. They all chuckled and agreed with him. 

0 – 0 – 0 – 0 

That night after Peggy had left Tony was sitting on the floor coloring, reading comic books and listening to the radio with Ana and Jarvis. It was rather exciting because it was past his bedtime, but he didn’t admit he was tired and hid any yawns he felt coming. When was tired of coloring he tucked the picture in the back of his comic book, deciding not to show it until the armor was finished completely. Picking up the comic he crawled up next to Jarvis and nestled down next to him.

“I’m going to read you two a story, okay? Because it’s got to be past your bedtime and you look sleepy,” Tony said, stifling his own yawn.

“What’s it about?” asked Jarvis, watching as Tony opened the book up.

“Transformers!” he chirped and began reading from the speech bubbles. He even added in all the sound effects and Ana watched her husband and the boy happily. True, it wasn’t their child reading to them, but in all honesty he might as well have been and for right now, despite all that happened she pretended they were a happy family.

Half way through the book, Jarvis had fallen asleep and Tony’s words were getting farther and farther paced and the sound effects were less enthusiastic. The little boy leaned back and rested his head on Jarvis shoulder, still mumbling the dialog and Ana smiled fondly at them. After a particularly long pause, Tony blinked a few times before his eyes stayed closed and the comic book fell onto his chest. Ana rose quietly from her seat and gently took it and placed on the Captain America shield on the nightstand and covered Tony with an extra blanket. She bent and kissed both of them on the forehead.

“I love you, my darlings.”


End file.
